Woodsies Gem Shop

There’s a popular metaphor about finding ‘gems’ in life, but Woodsies Gem Shop in Mildura really is a fun place to go.

When travelling to Mildura recently, a relative told me that I should take the family to Woodsies Gem Shop. I must admit that I was a bit sceptical, but nevertheless, we went and were all pleasantly surprised.

Woodsies Gem Shop is – as the name suggests – a gem shop but it also has a restaurant, playground, extensive displays and a massive maze. From the front it doesn’t look like much, but appearances can be deceiving and one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, as the old saying goes.

Once one enters the shop, it’s apparent that there’s more to this place than meets the eye. The displays of gems are impressive; rows and rows of display cases show off a wide variety of different stones.

But it is the extraordinary restaurant with its cave-inspired ceiling that really impresses. Clearly, someone went to considerable trouble back in the 1980s to create this magical space that transitions from gem shop to eatery. The closest parallel I can make is to the famous Stalactites restaurant in Melbourne, but this ceiling at Woodsy’s has a far better quality of craftsmanship.

Everything in this place reminds me of the sort of décor that was commonplace when I was a child, but I say that in a genuinely appreciative way because the place has been really well looked after and cherished. The brown earthy floor tiles, the orangey-brown leather booth seats, the mission brown everything, the tray return at the counter…it’s classic. We had lunch at the restaurant and whilst the offerings were fairly unadventurous by contemporary standards, the quality of the food (and coffee) was genuinely good. The price was very reasonable, too. Overall, the restaurant had a nice relaxed and fun vibe to it that was very family-friendly.

For a mere $2 (retro pricing!), we were able to attempt the massive maze. Don’t for one minute underestimate the challenge in this task…. it was tricky! Both children and adults had a lot of fun trying to navigate our way from one end to another, and it took a solid 45 minutes to complete.

Woodsy’s Gem Shop was a really fun place to visit, and I’d commend it to anyone visiting Mildura. It’s just a very short drive out of town and easily accessible.

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